The Deputy Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms. Makhotso Sotyu, together with the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Mr Fish Mahlalela and uMngeni Local Municipality will host the Good Green Deeds Awareness Campaign, on 6 December 2019, in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal Province. The Ministers will hand over the Green Waste Drop-off Facility to the uMngeni Local Municipality, do Community clean-up activities around the Howick Falls, Public Awareness campaign and host a Ministerial Imbizo.
The Howick Falls forms part of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Meander Tourist Route and is part of the Umgeni River, of which 7km falls within uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve, 30km away from Pietermaritzburg. This makes this tourist destination a priority area for the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and the Department of Tourism as it has environmental challenges which impact directly on the uMngeni River through pollution that flows downstream to the Blue Lagoon Beach in Durban. This also has a negative impact on the Midlands Meander Route which is a priority tourist attraction for the Department of Tourism.
As part of the Good Green Deeds Campaign, the Ministers will also lead a clean-up in the Howick Falls area, followed by a Ministerial Imbizo. The Good Green Deeds Programme was launched earlier this year by President Cyril Ramaphosa and through this campaign the Department seeks to highlight the importance of active citizenry in the protection and management of natural resources and pollution in the neighbourhoods they live in.
Members of the media are invited to cover the event as follows:
Date: 6 December 2019
Venue: Unveiling and Hand over of the Green Waste Drop-Off Facility built by DEFF at the Curry's Post Landfill Site
Time: 10:00
Good Green Deeds Ministerial Community Clean up
Venue: Howick Falls
Time: 10:30 – 10:50
Formal Programme and Community Engagement
Venue: Howick West Sports Centre
Time: 11:00
To RSVP contact Tshego Letshwiti on 076 307 9634/ tletshwiti@environment.gov.za
Or Benedict Mlaba on bmlaba@environment.gov.za / 021 814 8112
For media inquiries contact, Zolile Nqayi on 082 898 6483 / znqayi@environment.gov.za
For tourism related enquiries contact Susan de Bruin on 082 921 7303 / sdebruin@tourism.gov.za